Educated, relatively high-earning workers are flocking to urban neighborhoods at a rate not seen since at least the 1970s

CLEVELAND—Joe Baur grew up in a leafy suburb a half-hour outside central Cleveland. But when it came time to settle down with his wife, the couple chose Ohio City, a neighborhood here that until recently was pockmarked by abandoned businesses and decaying homes.

Mr. Baur, a 29-year-old travel writer, and Melanie, a 28-year-old international-relations worker, love that their neighborhood is brimming with new restaurants and bars. The couple pays just over $1,000 a month for a one-bedroom loft—an amount that easily could cover...

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A wave of young, educated, high-earning workers are flooding city neighborhoods like Ohio City, in Cleveland, creating challenges and opportunities for urban development. Photo: Rich-Joseph Facun for The Wall Street Journal